Soil Talks™ Podcast

What if the biggest limitation in agriculture isn't fertilizer... What if it's a function? In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast, Brandon Kail sits down with Dan Grotsky, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Groundwork BioAg , to explore the underground biological networks that drive nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, crop resilience, and long-term soil function. For decades, agriculture w...

No-till is a great start, but it isn't the whole solution. In this episode of Soil Talks , we sit down with regenerative pioneer Jay Fuhrer to discuss the transition from traditional conservation to a biological systems approach. With over 40 years of experience at the NRCS and legendary work at Minokin Farm, Jay breaks down why carbon is the universal currency of a successful farm and how to move...

What if everything we knew about nutrient uptake was only half the story? In this episode of Soil Talks™ , we dive deep into the Rhizophagy Cycle with world-renowned expert Dr. James White. We move beyond the "straw" model of plant roots and explore how plants actually "farm" microbes, attracting, absorbing, and even stripping the cell walls of bacteria to extract vital nutrients like manganese an...

In this episode of Soil Talks™, we sit down with the "Lord of the Roots" himself, Jeff Lowenfels. As the author of the legendary Teaming with Microbes series, Jeff has spent decades moving the needle from chemical dependency to biological stewardship. We dive deep into the "Poop Loop," the new frontier of the Rhizophagy cycle, and why modern agriculture must transition toward a regenerative, syste...

In this episode, we dive deep into the "Blueprint of the Earth" with the soil architect himself, Neal Kinsey. Neal shares over 50 years of wisdom inherited directly from Dr. William Albrecht, challenging the modern "NPK-only" mindset that leaves growers with declining yields and unbalanced soil. We explore why standard soil tests often fail by stopping at pH, the critical role of calcium as the "d...

Is your soil a locked vault? Most farmers are sitting on a fortune of nutrients they can't actually use. In this episode of Soil Talks , we’re joined by Matt Slaughter , owner of Earthfort, to dismantle the biggest myths in modern agriculture. Matt reveals why your crops might be starving even if your chemical tests show "plenty of nutrients," and why shifting from a chemical-first to a biological...

What if everything we knew about how plants "eat" was only half the story? In this episode of Soil Talks, we are joined by world-renowned permaculture educator Matt Powers to discuss the revolutionary Rhizophagy Cycle . Matt breaks down the "Soil Food Web 2.0," explaining the microscopic process where plants literally consume bacteria to trigger root growth and nutrient uptake. We move beyond basi...

Stop waiting weeks for lab results while your crop’s window of opportunity closes. Most soil recommendations are based on samples that are days or even weeks old. But soil isn’t a static chemistry set; it’s a living biological engine. In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast , we sit down with Laura Decker, CEO of Prolific Earth Sciences, to reveal why traditional soil testing often misses the mark...

For decades, agriculture has been built on a simple idea: If something goes wrong… apply more inputs. More fertilizer. More chemicals. More control. But what if that entire model is flawed? In this episode of Soil Talks™, John Kempf breaks down a radically different way to think about crop health, soil biology, and system function. We dig into: • Why pests may not be attacking your crops but repor...

If soil is the engine of agriculture, how do we measure its performance? For decades, agriculture has treated soil like a chemistry set. Measure nitrogen. Adjust phosphorus. Balance potassium. But soil is not a sterile laboratory. It is a living biological engine. In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast , Brandon Kail sits down with Dr. Lance Gunderson , president of Regen Ag Lab and one of the mos...

For decades, agriculture has treated soil like a chemical system. Add fertilizer to correct deficiencies. Increase yield. But what if the real problem isn’t nutrients, it’s biology? In this episode of Soil Talks Podcast , Brandon Kail sits down with Jon Stika , author of A Soil Owner’s Manual and a former NRCS agronomist with over 30 years of experience studying soil health and regenerative agricu...

Modern agriculture isn’t just under pressure; it may be experiencing model collapse . In this episode of the Soil Talks™ Podcast, Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture and Water for Any Farm , explains why today’s agricultural research and production systems may be built on a flawed foundation. From monocultures and annual disturbance to hydrology, agroforestry, and perennial systems, Ma...

For decades, turf and landscape management has relied on synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. But is that system sustainable? In this episode of Soil Talks™, Chip Osborne, founder of Osborne Organics and a national leader in organic land management, explains the “chemical treadmill” and why feeding the soil, not the plant, is the future of resilient turf systems. We discuss soil biology...

Every farmer knows the frustration following the book, applying the right NPK, investing in chemistry, only to watch soil resilience disappear. In this powerful episode of Soil Talks™ , RMBA Founder Mark sits down with Gary Zimmer , the godfather of biological farming, to expose the broken mindset of modern agronomy and chart the path forward for the next agricultural revolution. Topics Covered: W...

For decades, farmers and agronomists have been forced to guess what’s happening inside the crop or wait days to weeks for tissue results that can change before the lab report even arrives. In this episode of Soil Talks™ , Brandon sits down with Xavier Hebert-Couturier , CEO & Founder of Picketa Systems , the team behind a handheld tool that uses light + AI to reveal what the human eye can’t: r...

For decades, lawn care has been built on schedules, products, and chemical fixes, yet lawns continue to decline, thin out, struggle with disease, and require more inputs every year. Why? Most lawn programs ignore the most important part of the system: soil biology . In this episode of the Soil Talks™ Podcast , we sit down with Rob Gaunt , Plant Pathologist and ISA Arborist, to break down The Green...

Some farms are sitting on thousands of pounds of nutrients, and their crops are still starving. Why? Because the missing link isn’t fertilizer. Its function . In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast , Brandon Kail sits down with Tom Vander Heiden , GM of Ag at ST Biologicals, bringing 43+ years in agriculture and 15+ years in soil microbiology , to break down what most soil conversations never addr...

Most agricultural systems weren’t designed to fail. They were designed around inputs instead of engines . For decades, fertility conversations have centered on NPK. But yield plateaus, rising input costs, drought stress, and disease pressure all point to the same reality: NPK was never the engine. Biology was. In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast , we sit down with the team from Purple Cow Organ...

Regenerative agriculture only works when the economics are in place. In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast , we sit down with  Taylor Henry , CEO of  Acres U.S.A. , to discuss the aspect of regenerative farming that many people tend to overlook:  finances, debt, and decision-making . Taylor shares his unconventional journey from law enforcement into agriculture and breaks down why regenerative sy...

In this episode of the Soil Talks™ Podcast , we sit down with Josue Diaz (Betteravia Farms / BoniPak Produce) and Dr. Christopher Height to unpack what actually happens when a large-scale operation transitions from conventional inputs to biological systems, under real-world pressure . This isn’t a conversation about ideology. And it’s not “biology vs fertilizer.” It’s a conversation about constrai...

Can biology really pay? Dr. Curt Livesay (Alchemy BioScience, Dynamite Ag) breaks down the data behind crop stress mitigation with silica , nitrogen efficiency , and post-harvest nutrient removal testing . We dig into nutritional density trends, ROI, manure’s real value, and how to separate useful biologicals from marketing—using independent testing and fieldproof. Subscribe for more Soil Talks™:...

Microalgae, Microbes & Measurable Gains with Cassidy Million, VP Ag Sciences @ PhycoTerra® What this episode delivers: a clear, field-ready look at how photosynthetically-derived microalgae feed native microbes, improve aggregation, and lift yield without overhauling your program . We separate myth from mechanism, show where microalgae fit in the regen stack, and outline how to verify results...

What does it actually look like to take a conventional, hay-focused operation and turn it into a resilient, biology-led system in one season? In this episode, Brandon sits down with Joel Leman , GM of Ballantine Farms (Durango, Colorado) , to unpack the full transition: rotational/mob grazing in arid conditions, using goats to knock out thistle without herbicides, deploying virtual fencing (GPS co...